Friday, March 21, 2008

Stocks rebound
Wall Street capped a volatile week with a big advance Thursday, rebounding from a steep sell-off as investors sought bargains and cheered a milder-than-expected drop in a regional manufacturing report.

Easter big for retail
It's not Christmas, but Easter still represents one of the year's busiest holiday shopping seasons.

Changes brewing
For every coffee drinker who ever slurped from a Starbucks cup, there is an opinion about what the chain could do better.

Citigroup cuts
Citigroup is cutting about 2,000 more investment banking and trading jobs, a source familiar with the matter said, as the largest U.S. bank moves to lower costs after subprime mortgage and credit problems led to a record quarterly loss.

Visa shares soar
Catapulted by the biggest IPO in U.S. history, Visa Inc. shares soared 28 percent in their stock market debut Wednesday as investors bet an accelerating shift to electronic payments will enrich the world's largest processor of credit and debit cards.

Oil prices fall
Oil prices pulled back sharply Wednesday after the government released data suggesting that high oil and gasoline prices are depressing demand for petroleum products.

Delta pilots reject arbitration
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc.'s pilots union rejected Wednesday the idea of submitting to arbitration with their counterparts at Northwest Airlines to break their impasse over integrating seniority lists as part of a possible combination of the carriers.

Apple access
Apple Inc. is negotiating with record labels over a deal to give iPhone and iPod customers free access to the entire iTunes music library if they pay extra for the devices.

Index slips
A gauge of future economic activity dropped in February for the fifth consecutive month, suggesting that the weakening U.S. economy could, indeed, be slipping into recession.

People in Business
Century 21 representatives Elizabeth Packard and Gordon Swearengen from the office at 3131 S. Bell St., Suite 201, recently attended the Century 21 International Convention 2008 in Orlando where thousands of brokers, managers and sales associates from around the world gathered to learn, share and network with their peers.

Stocks retreat after huge rally
NEW YORK - Stocks pulled back sharply Wednesday, erasing most of the previous session's big gains as investors grew concerned about high commodities prices and the possibility that banks remain vulnerable to further problems from soured debt.

Jobless claims jump by 22,000
WASHINGTON - The number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level in nearly two months, providing more evidence that the weak economy is having an adverse effect on the labor market.

NCAA Men's Tournament: Rebuilding the right way
WASHINGTON - Their knowledge of X's and O's was secondary in importance to their skill as salesmen. If Scott Drew and Matt Painter were to win, each had to convince kids out of high school to join programs that had become downright embarrassing.

Wayland Baptist wins tournament game
Kris Hatley scored the go-ahead basket with under a minute to play and Canyon product Danny Storey grabbed 11 rebounds as unseeded Wayland Baptist upset No. 12 Martin Methodist College (Tenn.), 85-81, in the opening game of the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Radiohead invites fans to do video
Radiohead allowed fans to choose a price for their latest tunes. Now, the best-selling band is hoping fans will make them a music video, too.

Heloise: Bleach can dull clothing
Dear Readers: Are your white clothes looking dingy? The reason could be the very thing we've always used to whiten our whites - bleach! We now know that bleach can break down the optical brighteners that are added to many white fabrics and, with continued use, leave our white clothes yellowed or gray-looking.

Ignorance is not bliss
Most of us have absolutely no idea where - or from whom - our food is coming, which is exactly how we like it.

Heloise: How to kill mothball odor
Dear Heloise: We inherited a cedar chest that my mother-in-law had put mothballs in. How do we get rid of the strong mothball odor? - Connie Sherrod, North Canton, Ohio

Dr. Gott: 'Supervitamins' may not be worth super cost
Dear Dr. Gott: Would you please comment on the supposed supervitamins manufactured by a company named USANA Corp. that is listed on the stock exchange? Are they efficacious and worth the exorbitant prices that the company charges for its products?

Dear Abby: Wife misses ex's friendship after years
Dear Abby: My ex-husband and I have remained friends and lovers for the past 37 years. We maintained a relationship that included shared vacations and socializing together. We even talked of living in a retirement home together one day.

Wines for Easter within the budget
Even if you have a minuscule budget and a huge crowd to feed for any gathering, you don't have to forgo wine: Check out the NV Oak Leaf Vineyards Chardonnay (about $3 or $4, and no, that's not a typo) to serve as an aperitif or with ham. At 12.5 percent alcohol, this award-winning, light-bodied unoaked California chardonnay pleasantly surprised us on its own, especially for the price. Its apple-y fruitiness really shined when it accompanied ham with mustard sauce, but food-wise, this whisper of a wine works best with lighter flavors that don't overwhelm it.

Do you have the write stuff?
A Kansas City, Kan., publisher has a contest for young authors who would like to be published. There are three age categories: 6-9, 10-13 and 14-19.

H.S. Soccer
The Caprock Lady Longhorns won their first soccer playoff game in school history, scoring two second-half goals to defeat Denison, 2-0, in a bidistrict playoff Thursday night at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.

Pampa softball team drops Caprock
At Pampa, the Lady Harvesters took advantage of six Caprock errors, coming away with a 5-4 District 3-4A win. Ashley Facio picked up the win, allowing one hit. Pampa is 2-0 in 3-4A, while Caprock is 0-2.

H.S. Softball
While most high school students are enjoying their spring break, things in District 3-4A are firing at a rapid pace. After opening district play Tuesday, 3-4A teams will be back on the field today for another round of league games.

Rebels enter Keller Classic with 11 wins
With district around the corner in Class 5A, 4A and 3A, this weekend's Randy Keller Memorial Classic will provide one last opportunity for coaches to prepare their teams for the grind of the district schedule.

Randall softball team rolls Palo Duro
At Randall, Shelby Moser struck out 11 of the 15 batters she faced, giving up one hit as the Lady Raiders defeated Palo Duro, 11-1, in five innings.

High School Boys Track Honor Roll
Editor's Note: Today's listings do not reflect better results, if any, from Plainview's Bulldog Relays (field events and 3200) or the meet in White Deer, neither of which were reported to the Globe-News. Times are rounded off to the nearest hundredth of a second.

Gorillas host the playoff-bound Ice Bats
After beating Tulsa at home last week, the Gorillas were in the thick of the playoff race, holding a one-point lead over Austin in the Central Hockey League standings.

My two cents ... On LSC-MIAA Matchups
One of my favorite albums in the ol' college days was Pink Floyd's "The Wall." The wall for teams from the Lone Star Conference, and perhaps West Texas A & M in particular, is an opponent from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Hornets hand Rockets another defeat
NEW ORLEANS - Former Houston player Bonzi Wells helped New Orleans hand the Rockets their second straight loss after a 22-game winning streak, scoring 20 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter in the Hornets' 90-69 victory Wednesday night.

Boston drops Dallas
DALLAS - Ray Allen returned from a three-game injury absence and a long time on the bench in the fourth quarter to nail a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31.7 seconds left, lifting the Boston Celtics past the Dallas Mavericks, 94-90, Thursday night to complete an impressive sweep in the Lone Star State.

March Melee
New to amarillo.com this year is the March Melee fantasy college basketball game.

Spurs rout Bulls
In Chicago, Tony Parker scored 23 points and Tim Duncan had 22 to go with 10 rebounds as San Antonio ended a four-game losing streak with a 102-80 rout of the Bulls.

AFD quickly quenches fire
A grass fire burned Thursday afternoon behind the Amarillo Independent School District administration building, about a block east of Coulter St.

Local VA nursing home under investigation
An investigative review board from the Department of Veterans Affairs is visiting the Amarillo hospital this week to ask nursing home staff, family and residents about more than a year's worth of complaints on abuse, neglect and quality of care issues.

Correction
A column that appeared Tuesday in the Opinion section incorrectly identified the airline that lost the roof of a plane while flying over Hawaii in 1988. The airline should have been identified as Aloha Airlines.

Grand jury: Not enough evidence in WT assault
A Randall County grand jury concluded there wasn't sufficient evidence to return an indictment in the case of a West Texas A & M University student who was accused of sexually assaulting a female student March 10 in Jarrett Hall, Randall County Criminal District Attorney James Farren said.

WT receives $50,000 gift
West Texas A & M University received a $50,000 gift to expand its business ethics curriculum and support student and faculty development.

Lubbock student found dead
LUBBOCK - A South Plains College student described as a caring friend who made others laugh was found stabbed in his north Lubbock apartment Monday evening.

2 dogs attack mini horse
LUBBOCK - A pair of dogs killed a miniature horse Monday morning in south Lubbock County, bringing the animal death count from dog attacks up to at least 23 this year.

Students arm for war of words
It's a battle of words. The annual regional spelling bee begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Branding Iron Theatre at West Texas A & M University in Canyon.

Police seek suspect
Police have released the name of a suspect they are searching for in the March 15 shooting death of Hugo A. Medina, 22, outside La Cabana Bar on Amarillo Boulevard.

Gun shows to gunbelt leather
If the name Jim Dakota doesn't come across Western enough, or his black felt cowboy hat and gray Buffalo Bill style goatee don't give one the feeling of days gone by, then the decor of Dakota's home and the color in his stories ought to be enough to convince anyone this is a man born out of his time.

Perry names judge
Gov. Rick Perry has appointed 100th District Attorney Stuart Messer as judge for the 100th Judicial District to succeed David McCoy, who resigned in February in return for the state's dismissal of two felony counts filed against him.

Venue change motion filed
Potter County Sheriff Mike Shumate might not face a jury of his own electorate. A motion was filed Monday by the Texas Attorney General's Office for a change of venue.

Water board cancels voting
The High Plains Underground Water Conservation District plans to cancel its May director elections because the two contests up for grabs have only one candidate each.

Editorial: Don't count out Texas Democrats
Never fear, Texas Democrats. The presidential caucus process that at times looked as if it originated in disenfranchised and disorganized Florida will eventually work out the kinks.

WT softball team drops two
The West Texas A & M softball team extended its losing streak to six games after being swept in the second day of a four-game series against Fort Hays State. The Lady Buffs (13-21) fell, 4-1, in the first game before losing the second game, 5-3, at Tiger Stadium in Hays, Kan.

Buffs hit the road
The West Texas A & M baseball team will try to snap its four-game losing skid at 5 p.m. today when it begins a four-game series on the road against Lone Star Conference foe Texas A & M-Kingsville.

Lady Buffs tumble
The West Texas A & M softball team opened a four-game series Wednesday against Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan., dropping the opening two games by a combined three runs. The Lady Buffs were shut out in the first game, 2-0, before falling 4-3 in eight innings in game two.